Hopper Criticizes Soviet Shootings

"U.S. jets must get in the air and put on a show of force," Bruce C. Hopper '24, associate professor of Government, declared last night in response to the two Russian shootings of American and British planes over Germany.

"This attack seems awfully deliberate, and if the United States does not get in the air, we may have a serious situation on our hands," he continued. Hopper supported the recent American order to its pilots that they return Russian fire.

"This incident may have drastic international repercussions," commented a member of the Russian Research Center who asked that his name be withheld. He stressed that the United States was dealing with a "stupid enemy," and added, "These shootings may very well continue if the United States does not move quickly."

Nothing Unusual

But Zbigniew K. Brzezinski, teaching fellow in Government, did not feel the Russian attack was too serious. "The move stems from a paranoia attitude of the Russians toward any threatened intrusion from the West," he explained. Contrary to other University reaction, he did not feel these two attacks would lead to "anything unusual."

Brezezinski saw a state of tension existing in the Soviet Union, due to the death of Stalin and Russian fear of western attack. But he did not think Stalin's death had any direct bearing on the shootings.

Trigger Happy

Terming the Russian pilots "trigger-happy," Hopper commented that unless the United States demonstrates that it means business, this incident may occur again. "It requires a show of strength," he concluded.

A second University Russian expert who asked not to be named charged that the Russian attack was clearly a case of agression and ought to be dealt with as such.